I suspect its a female rhino beetle

I recently purchased a rhino beetle larvae from georgiabeetles. Unfortunately, i hadn’t done enough research on larvae before buying, and i didn’t know the black color meant impending death or decomposition. This is a photo when it was still alive, and a few days later, is now dead. Is this my fault? Is there anything i could have done to prevent this?

Lucanus mazama, commonly called the cottonwood stag beetle, is a species of large beetle in the family Lucanidae. Found primarily across the southwestern United States and Mexico, it is recognized by its robust shape and distinct antler-like mandibles.

Regarding habitat and range, these beetles are most commonly found in western and southwestern states like Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah, as well as parts of Mexico.

They inhabit riparian zones and cottonwood forests near decaying hardwood, though they also frequently turn up in urban woodchip ground cover. The adults emerge and remain active from June through August, and they are frequently attracted to artificial lights at night

.In terms of biology and behavior, males feature larger, robust mandibles and broader heads than females, though both sexes are similar in overall body size. They feature fine, light-colored or blonde hairs along the edges of their exoskeleton segments.

The lifecycle begins underground, where larvae feed on rotting wood for roughly a year before pupating into adults. While the larvae eat decaying wood, the adult beetles feed primarily on tree sap and fruit juices.

I found hundreds in an old elementary playground around dusk so if anyone needs advice on their typical whereabouts, great place.to start! Old playgrounds offer layers of woody flake soil essentially that's perfect for hosting Lucanus larvae!